The recent disagreement between Bill Maher and Larry David regarding the impact of Maher’s meeting with President Trump has captured my attention. Maher is a popular comedian and host of “Real Time with Bill Maher.” David is a writer and producer of the legendary television shows “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
For context, Maher recently had dinner with President Trump. This prompted Larry David to publish a satirical piece in The New York Times titled “My Dinner with Adolf,” a clear rebuke of Maher’s decision to engage with the President.
In his first show following the meeting, I found Maher to be notably dismissive, even rude, toward a guest who raised a reasonable concern. The guest questioned whether the president might manipulate the optics of such a meeting for his own advantage. It was a valid and important question, deserving of a more thoughtful response.
At the same time, I take issue with the implication of Larry David’s piece, which seemed to equate Trump with Hitler. I believe such a comparison is both inappropriate and counterproductive.
I have no objection to drawing parallels between the Trump administration’s actions and the behaviors typically associated with authoritarian regimes. In fact, historical awareness demands that we recognize early warning signs of authoritarianism.
However, as someone who lost numerous family members in the Holocaust and who has served as a Holocaust educator for over forty years, I urge caution in invoking terms like “Nazi” and “Hitler.” Such comparisons risk trivializing the singular atrocity committed by the Nazis against the Jewish people and the world at large.
I fully acknowledge that others may see this differently. Nevertheless, no matter how alarming or dangerous one finds the policies or rhetoric of contemporary politicians, they do not equate to the unprecedented and systematic cruelty of Nazism and Hitler.
The current global drift toward right-wing nationalism and authoritarianism is deeply concerning, and vigilance is essential. However, I believe our discourse would be far more effective—and historically responsible—if we avoided Nazi comparisons.
Terms such as “authoritarian” and “totalitarian” are both powerful and accurate, and they convey the necessary gravity without diminishing the unique horrors of the Holocaust.
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Rabbi Emeritus at Temple Emanuel in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he served as rabbi from 1995 to 2021. Guttman is a dual citizen of the United States and Israel.
